Indian J. Prev. Soc. Med. Vol. 37 No. 1 6L 2, 2006
PREVALENCE OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY IN BIHAR:
A GENDER PERSPECTIVE
R.J. Yadav
ABSTRACT
Objective: The prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency among the people of Bihar have been
presented in this paper Design: Two stage design was adopted with Probability Proportional to
‘Size (PPS) Sampling Setting Study covered 28630 households from 1182 villages and 236
wards from all blocks of all the 50 districts of Binar Subjects: About 1,10,000 persons ( 53 000
males & 57,000 females) were studied Methods: Information on households’ characteristics,
Health status and about Vitamin-A deficiency for the members of 20 households per village/town
of about one lakh persons were collected in the state Results. Prevalence of Vitamin A was
‘observed slightly higher among males ( 38 per cent) as compared to females ( 30 per cent) The
Prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency (more than one per cent) was observed among males and
females i Darbhanga and Gaya among rural as well as in urban areas
Key Words: Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) Sampling
INTRODUCTION:
Nutntonal surveillance 1s an essential component to monttor health and nutntion status of population in
@ country and help m formulating policy measures and planning Such a system would provide trends in
nutritional situation over time In recognition of this national Nutntional policy laid due emphasis in
strengthening the Nutntion surveillance system The Food and Nutntion Bureau, Department of Women and
Child Development, has sponsored the present study to cover most of the states which were not included in the
NNMB surveys and assigned the task to three most competent institutions in the country
‘The specal feature of the study ts that the study was designed to collect data to provide district level
rnutntion profile for each distnct of all the states following uniform sampling design, methodology and standards
District level data were pooled to provide state level estimates of the nutntion parameters
Depiay Director, Insitute for Research in Medical Statisties Indian Council of Medical Research Medical Enclave New Deth,
indexed in : Index Medicus (IMSEAR) INSDOG NCI Current Gontent Database of Alcohol & Drug Abuse National
Database in TB & Alled Diseases IndMED Entered im WHO CD ROM for South East AsiaRI Yadav Prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency in Bihar : A gender perspective
In the process, 187 districts were studied in 18 states information on nutrition condition of poputation at the
distnct level are generated for the first time in the country and wall provide valuable baseline information to
planners and researchers Planning at the lowest fevel are generally not possible due to lack of adequate data at
the same ime planning at the ‘grass root fevet' are realistic and full the asprration of people of the area. The
dstnct level nutrton data 1s expected to provide adequate information in formulating policy programmes and.
‘decide the pronty area at the micro level for their implementation
SUBJECT AND METHODS
‘The study was aimed at providing the distnct nutrition profile of all the distncts in this state covering the
assessment and substitute of Dretary intake of the population of the study area classified in vanous groups,
‘utntonal status of chiidren and adult population using vanous nutntional mdicators, prevatence of vanous
‘utntonal deficiency disorders and knowleage attitude practice of mothers relaung to breast feeding practices
‘and introducton of supplements and subsitutes:
{n thes study, ail the biocks of each distnct have been covered For selection of the sample from each
biock, 2 villages, one up to 2 population of 1000 and another of more than 1000 have been selected by using
probabuity proportional to size (PPS) sampling In each selected witage, 20 households have been selected An
urban sample of 20 per cent has also been covered in each district. For thes, the chstnct headquarter city! town
‘and two other towns (selected randomiy} were taken. Information on household characterstics, demographnc,
Profile, and anthropometnes was collected Health status and Nutntonal assessment schedules were carried out
for the members of these 20 households per wilagetown Information about the nutztonal deficency signs of
the people of Bihar was also collected. The study covered about one lakh people of which about 53,000 were
males and 57 000 were females
‘The Institute for Research in Mecical Statistics one of tne premier institute of Indian Council of Meckcal
Research, New Delt undertook a study to assess rutrtional status mciuding the prevalence of nutritonal
deficiency among people of Rajasthan. Bihar, Chandigarh and Delt Bihar is the second most populous state
the country and 1s an under developed state due fc heavy pressure of population on land and low level of
development Ths paper 1s an attempt to study the prevaience of Vitamin A deficency signs A gender
perspective among the people of Bihar
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
‘The mfornation on Vitamin A deficiency in urban 2s wen as in rural area are being presented in tabie 1
Indian J. Prev. Soc. Med Vol. 37 No.1 & 2 56 Jan-June, 2006RJ Yadav Prevatence of Vitamin A deficiency in Bihar : A gender perspective
TABLE-1: Prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency signs (%)
Vitamin A Urban Rural [__ Combined
Deficiency Male Female | Male | Female | Male | Female
Bitots Spot 0213 0187 oreo | 07105 | o176 | 0113
Comeal Xerosis 0034 | 0063 | 0119 | 0056 0105 | 0057
[Keratomalasia | 0011 | 0073 | 0045 0073 0039 | 0073
Corneal Opac oot ose | 0074 | 0052 0064 | 0052
0407 | 0286 0364 | 0295
Prevalence of Vitamin : A deficiency was examined for Bitot's Spot, Comeal Xerosis, Keratomalasia and
Comeal Opacity The Prevalence of vitamin -A deficiency among males and feriale were observed as 38 and
30 percent respectively The prevalence of Bitot's spot, comeal Xerosis and corneal opacity was observed
higher among males and the prevalence of Keratomalasia was more among females The prevalence of overall
deficiency was higher among male in rural area whereas the same prevalence was higher among females in
urban areas
Distribution of districts according to prevalence of Vitamin- A deficiency are being presented in table 2
TABLE-2 : Distnbution of districts according to prevalence of Vitamun- A deficiency
‘Sex ‘Area District with Prevalence
1% 05 -1.0%